inner city

noun

: the usually older, poorer, and more densely populated central section of a city
inner-city adjective

Examples of inner city in a Sentence

The mayor is trying to attract new businesses to the inner city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Helping inner cities Since the 1930s, mortgage lenders had denied predominantly Black city neighborhoods access to financing. Stephen Mihm, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2025 In fact, my mother's high school, Eastside, is featured in Lean On Me, the Black film classic that details the true story of Paterson's own Principal Joe Clark, an educator who went to extreme lengths to help improve the test scores and livelihoods of Black students at the inner city school. Dria James, refinery29.com, 12 Feb. 2025 So what’s a flower farm doing in the middle of inner city Chicago? Martha Shade, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025 Founder of the Urban Summit, Tindall, known by most in Kansas City as Bishop Tindall, has spent his lifetime advocating for issues related to social and racial justice in the inner city. Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 20 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inner city

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inner city was in 1958

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Cite this Entry

“Inner city.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inner%20city. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

inner city

noun
: the usually older and more heavily populated central section of a city
inner-city adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on inner city

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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